Is the Moto X the best smartphone on the market?

The snazzy new iPhone is great and all, but there are plenty of other smartphones on the market. There are many models that offer strong performance, making them contenders to the throne.

One such gadget is the Moto X, the first smartphone Motorola has produced since it was bought by Google. The gadget has plenty of cool tools and can support the Android-version of the best video conferencing program on the market. Additionally, ABI Research recently concluded that the Moto X beats the iPhone "in engineering design and creativity."

What makes this phone so great? Let's take a look at its features and functionality.

The hardware
The differences between the Moto X and other smartphones are apparent. For one, the former has a curved back, making it easier and more comfortable to hold than the standard device. Further, Motorola's latest creation doesn't have any physical buttons on its face, relying solely on its touchscreen for most functions.

The Moto X features two cameras. The front-facing one is perfect if you need to use video conferencing software to participate in a remote meeting. The rear-facing camera recently improved thanks to a software update, according to Wired.

A smarter screen
If you pull your phone out of your pocket, you'll see a blank screen. Press a button and the entire display will light up with your background image, the date, the time and any notifications you have. This is all well and good, but there has to be a way you can find out what you need to know just by looking at your device.

The Moto X features Active Display, Engadget notes. This element allows the screen to display any information you need whenever you pick up your phone. Further, the software is paired with AMOLED technology so that only individual pixels are illuminated for the clock, calendar and notification icons. As a result, you can easily scan for certain information rather than reading everything.

The juice
Of course, battery life is the probably the most important feature for every consumers, and the Moto X delivers power in spades. In its text, PC Magazine found that the Motorola device stayed alive for 14 hours and 15 minutes of talk time. Additionally, the Moto X lasted 8 hours and 21 minutes while it streamed video over a Wi-Fi network. For comparison, the HTC One holds a charge for 11 hours and 25 minutes for the former task and 5 hours and 48 minutes during the latter.

The OS
The Moto X runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. While this isn't the latest version of the operating system, Engadget notes that it's close to stock Android. This makes it somewhat superior to the software on other phones that's been customized by carriers.